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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. land — to come down
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. board — to get on
  5. band — a ring
  6. spell — a short time
  7. object — a thing
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — ground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — magic
  13. stock — shares
  14. object — an aim
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. board — a committee
  18. land — a country
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. band — a music group
  21. object — to protest
  22. stock — goods
  23. fall — the season
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com